FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2016
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion / Local
Traveling preacher gives
presentation on Jason Lee
— Guest Opinion —
SWAT robot
still needed
By Baker City Police
Chief Wyn Lohner
Meghan Andersch / The Baker County Press
Aaron Auer speaks at the Agape Church.
BY MEGHAN ANDERSCH
Meghan@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Traveling preacher Aaron
Auer and wife Kimberly
are making a whirlwind
tour of every county in
Oregon, presenting “Jason
Lee: The True Father of
Oregon.”
Auer previously visited
all counties with John Sut-
ton. They dressed as fron-
tiersman John McLoughlin
and Oregon’s first mission-
ary Jason Lee.
Auer said they are re-
turning with an update ex-
actly seven years later and
referenced the significance
of seven in the Bible.
The Auers were in Baker
County on Friday night,
June 3rd at the Agape
Church. Pastor Garth
Johnson introduced Auer,
calling him the “John the
Baptist in Oregon”, prepar-
ing the way and calling to
“take the State back.”
During the next two
hours, in a presentation
ranging from laughter to
thundering to quiet reflec-
tion, Auer touched on ev-
erything from abortion to
global warming to timber
harvest, called for reform
in education and within the
church, and detailed Or-
egon’s historical heritage.
Auer started with the
Nez Perce searching for
the “Book of Heaven.”
He said Creator God
had sent the Nez Perce
dreams of a book brought
by pale-skinned people.
Four warriors showed
up in St. Louis in 1861
after walking nearly 3,000
miles. They were hosted
by Captain William Clark.
Two of the warriors died
over the winter in St.
Louis. Before the other
two returned, one, H’co-a-
h’co-a-h’cotes-min, spoke.
He said the book was not
in the places they’d been
taken where the Great
Spirit was worshipped, nor
in the pictures they were
shown, nor in the gifts they
were given.
The speech concluded,
“My people will die in
darkness, and they will
go on the long path to the
other hunting grounds. No
white man will go with
them and no white man's
Book, to make the way
plain. I have no more
words.”
The matter was reported
in newspapers of the time,
Auer said, “stirring the
nation.” Dr. Fisk, trainer
of ministers, had a man in
mind to go to the Native
Americans. This man,
Jason Lee, accepted the
challenge. He traveled
to the Oregon country in
1834, some nine or ten
years before the Oregon
Trail. Among other things,
he founded the first mis-
sion in the northwest and
helped start Salem, includ-
ing founding Willamette
University.
Auer stated that Webley
Hauxhurst of Long Island
showed up in 1839 and
said he learned more in
one week at the Mission
School from the prayers
and questions of the na-
tive children than he had
learned in his previous 31
years. He turned to the
Lord and served him the
rest of his days.
Walla Walla chief
Peopeomoxmox left his
son, Elijah Hedding, at the
mission in charge of Lee.
Hedding was later shot by
a group of “rowdy cow-
boys” in California as he
knelt in prayer.
Lee was instrumental in
Oregon obtaining state-
hood. He petitioned for
statehood, saying, “If we
don’t get it with God,
someone without God is
going to get it.”
In 1843 in Champoeg
the first vote was held to
elect Oregon’s first 11
legislators. These included
Joe Meek. Jason Lee and
other preachers acted as
the committee. A week
later, starting July 5th, they
held a camp meeting. At
first, only 16 or 17 people
came. By the last night,
about 60 of the 200 settlers
were present. Meek stood
up and said, “Tell everyone
you see, old mountain man
Joe Meek’s turned to the
Lord, and if he can, anyone
can.”
Auer said they’re still
spreading his message.
Auer called for a return
to our roots in education,
saying, “We need to teach
and be honest, whether
we like it or not” and
“education without God is
godlessness.”
He read from a 1957
textbook from the Salem
Public School district that
told the story of the Nez
Perce searching for the
Book of Heaven and about
Lee’s accomplishments.
Auer said the biggest
challenge in the church
today is not a problem of
hearing but of hearing and
not doing. He said, “If we
don’t do the work assigned
by the Lord, we will be
deceived and not know it.”
Auer described the
Circuit Rider Monument,
placed on the Oregon
State Capitol Grounds
in 1924. The inscription
reads, “Commemorating
the labors and achieve-
ments of the ministers of
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the gospel who as circuit
riders became the friends,
counselors, and evangels
to the pioneers on every
American frontier.”
The Capitol Grounds
also have a statue of Jason
Lee, “Preaching States-
man.”
Auer then spoke of Abra-
ham Lincoln instituting an
act through the Senate to
allow every state to send
up to two representative
statues to be placed in the
Hall of Statuary in Wash-
ington DC.
In 1920, Oregon chose
to send statues of John
McLaughlin and Jason
Lee. This was not actually
accomplished until 1947.
Schoolchildren collected
coins to raise the money to
send the statues.
In 2013, a bill was
introduced in the Oregon
legislature declaring that
due to an imminent threat
to public peace, health, and
safety, an emergency was
declared and that the Lee
statue in Washington DC
should be replaced with
one most representative of
“current Oregon.”
Auer said he testified
“gently, kindly, and direct-
ly” to the committee and
the bill miraculously died.
It was brought forth again
in 2014 as an emergency
and again died. Governor
Kitzhaber by executive or-
der formed a commission
to study who would be best
to replace the Lee statue.
The bill died in Senate a
third time.
The bill came forward
for the fourth time this
year, again declared as an
emergency. On March
3rd, fifty-nine of the sixty
Oregon House members
walked to Senate President
Peter Courtney’s office and
asked that a statue of Mark
Hatfield replace the Lee
statue.
Courtney said no.
Auer said he prays
Courtney stays strong to
the end.
In closing, the Auers
read several Scripture
passages, including
Proverbs 22:28 which
states, “Remove not the
ancient landmark, which
thy fathers have set.” Auer
said, “our state’s heritage
is being trespassed on” and
“Oregon is about to sell its
birthright.” He then said,
“but we don’t have to buy
it.” Auer closed with a
prayer for the county sher-
iff, judge, and citizens.
Kimberly Auer asked for
prayers for the tour and for
finances. More informa-
tion on their ministry can
be found at roaroregon.org.
Opinions or Letters to the Editor express
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been authored by and are not necessarily
the opinions of The Baker County Press, any
of our staff, management, independent
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Several months ago this Depart-
ment announced a campaign to
receive donations to purchase a
robot for use by law enforcement
agencies in our region.
In particular the device would be
used by the Northeast Oregon Re-
gional SWAT Team (NEOSWAT)
to enhance public safety, and bring
to a peaceful resolution, incidents
where violence is likely.
NEOSWAT is comprised of
members of the Baker City Po-
lice Department, Baker County
Sheriff’s Office, La Grande Police
Department, and Union County
Sheriff’s Office.
A robot, housed in Baker City,
could be used by NEOSWAT or
any of the individual law enforce-
ment agencies when needed.
To date, some donations from
individual citizens and community
groups have been received and are
very much appreciated.
We are, however, a long way
from reaching our goal of $25,000,
which is the purchase price for the
device.
We urge individuals, community
organizations and businesses in our
region to give serious consider-
ation to this project.
Donations are tax deductible.
On the afternoon of June 2,
2016, and extending for a twelve-
hour period, an armed, barricaded
subject incident occurred in Baker
City.
It resulted in a response from
NEOSWAT including its team of
Crisis Negotiators.
Ultimately the incident was
peacefully resolved when a robot
was loaned to NEOSWAT.
It was via the robot that the pre-
cise location of the suspect inside
the residence was able to be ascer-
tained.
It was via the robot that negotia-
tors were finally able to converse
with the suspect, ultimately con-
vincing him to surrender.
Unfortunately the robot (and
operators) loaned to us came from
hundreds of miles away.
It took a great deal of time for the
robot to arrive in Baker City and be
deployed.
The longer an incident of this
Submitted Photo
Baker City Police Chief Wyn Lohner
gets some love from one of his
favorite little citizens just after
responding to a call.
type continues unresolved the
greater the risk and inconvenience
to the public and the greater the
hazard posed to the public safety
personnel who must respond.
This incident, in the opinion of
the Incident Commander and other
experienced SWAT personnel most
likely could, and would, have been
resolved in a much more timely
manner had a robot been imme-
diately available here in Eastern
Oregon.
Unfortunately there will be other
incidents like this in our multi-
county region in the future,
Each agency involved in NEO-
SWAT contributes substantially to
the costs of maintaining the capa-
bility and expertise of the SWAT
Team.
At the present time purchase of
a robot by those agencies, without
public donations, is simply impos-
sible.
We encourage members of the
communities we serve to send
a donation to Baker City Police
SWAT Fund 1768 Auburn Avenue,
Baker City, Oregon 97814.
Your contribution will be ac-
knowledged in writing for tax
purposes.
Should you have any questions
please feel free to contact Re-
serve Commander Jerry Boyd at
541.519.8309. He is coordinating
this effort on behalf of NEOSWAT.
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